May my words be true to scriptures, guide you in your walk with God, and weigh on your heart, soul, and mind. Amen.
We are all familiar with the creation story in Genesis 1. We can see the Creator’s careful design in everything. Look upon the heavens with your own eyes. These celestial objects are beautiful. And most of us have seen the breath-taking deep space images from the Hubble Telescope. They are some of the most stunning pictures ever taken of the heavens above. But when Moses records the creation account of the stars, he says “And God made the two great lights…and the stars”. (Gen 1:16) And the stars? That’s it? God says it as if it were an afterthought. Oh yeah, He created the stars. Keep in mind God allows for the author of every book in the Bible to reflect and capture the character and personality of themselves without compromising the integrity of the holy Word of God. So why does Moses record God’s account of creation of the heavenly bodies in this manner? If we read ahead, we’ll see what the focus of the creation really is. It is mankind. Here it is shown that God gives much consideration for His creation of mankind. In Genesis 1:26-27 it says that we are created in God’s image, after His likeness. The Hebrew word here for image is tselem which means resemblance. No other part of creation is associated with God so strongly. God commands the sun to rise (Job 9:7); He commands the winds, the snow, and the hail. (Ps 148:5-8) He commands the waters, the stars, the mountains and valleys; the planets are set in motion because of Him. (Ps 104, Job 38-39) All creatures obey Him, but the one that He created like Him; we defy our Creator God. So why is it that we disobey Him so much?
We disobey because of sin. Since the fall of man, all of us sin. (Rom 3:23) It was paradise prior to the fall of man. When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden they were in communion with God. This communion was an intimate relationship on the spiritual level with God. Genesis 3:8 speaks of God walking in the garden. This indicates that God had a relationship to Adam and Eve as well. Adam and Eve are in union together; they are the first married couple of the Bible and they are one. On a physical aspect, God literally took a rib from Adam and created Eve. This is just one way that Adam and Eve are one – how man and wife are one. But when it is said “the two shall become one”, this is a spiritual binding—one that Jesus speaks of; a communion of which is to come. (John 14:20-23) The Garden of Eden was perfect. It is where God dwelt much like where God dwelt in the Tabernacle and the Temple in the Most Holy Place. Why did they fall? They fell because of sin, because they are not perfect and were given the ability to choose, and they gave into temptation. Humans have a predisposition to sin. Because Adam and Eve were now sinful creatures, they could no longer view or even be in the presence of God. Since God could not have sin in His presence He sent Adam and Eve out of the garden.
Since the fall, man has not been able to see God. You cannot come face to face with Him. The relationship of God and Moses was a very close relationship. It is through the grace of God that we come to know Him and grow in Him. (Eph 1:7, 17, 2 Pet 1:2-3) Throughout time the relationship between God and Moses matures. So much so that Moses, that God gave Moses the ability to see Him.
And God said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’” Then God said, “You cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”
This passage is yet another glimpse into God’s awesomeness. In Exodus 33:20-23, we are told that Moses’ face glowed after he came down from Mount Sinai and being privileged to be in the presence of God. (Ex 34:29) God’s relationship with Moses is an exceptional one but overall it is still a relationship that is limited to what God had designed it to be due to sin. His presence was so awesome that Moses had to wear a veil. Because he saw just a glimpse of God’s glory he had to cover his face. God’s presence is so unfathomable that it makes it even more amazing that he gave us the gift of Jesus. This is the way to Him, the way out of sin. And so we know that some day we will be able to look upon God because of His gift of Jesus.
When we sin, we are a slave to sin. (John 8:34) The Greek word for sin used here is doulos. The definition for the word being used here literally means slave or servant. Sin is the master and we are the slave. Fortunately for us believers, Jesus saved us from this slavery to sin while we were still sinners. (Rom 5:8) In Romans 5:1 Paul tells us about the doctrine of justification. He says that “since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is crucial here; we are declared righteous before God because Jesus died on the cross for our sins. (Luke 7:29, Rom 4:5, Rom 8:33-34) The penalty of sin, which is death, has been declared paid in full. (Rom. 8:1, 4:6-8) Jesus’ own righteousness is imputed or is put onto us. When Jesus died on the cross our sins were imputed unto Him. His death is the payment for our sins. As Jesus was dying on the cross, He cried out and said “My God, my God why have you forsaken me”. (Matt 27:45-46) Jesus cried out because God the Father turned away from Him. The Greek word for forsaken is egkataleipÅ which means to abandon or to leave behind. God could not be in Jesus’ presence because of the sin of the world has been imputed upon Jesus. God abandons Jesus on the cross. This separation is a separation that Jesus has never felt before – absolute isolation from God the Father. It is much like the separation of Adam and Eve experienced upon leaving the Garden of Eden.
Since Jesus took our punishment that was intended for us we will not experience the total separation from God if we believe. So if we believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior (John 3:16) then Jesus will impute His righteousness upon us and we will be declared justified before God. (1 Cor 1:30, Phil 3:9) The word “believe” is the same word used to describe Abraham’s faith in scriptures. (Rom 4:3) We need to trust God’s word is true, that His son died on the cross for our payment of sins, and that God’s promise has never nor will ever be broken. You are saved by God’s grace and grace alone and not by works, ultimately meaning that we are saved from the wrath of God once we believe—when we believe in God’s greatest gift, Jesus Christ.
-God Bless
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